seon

The room was dimly lit. She was sleeping quietly on her bed. He couldn't. His body although felt weary, his mind refused to relax...His eyes neglected the fatigue...

His thoughts were flying around Strongholt, and the army. These people were his family. That much he knew.

This last week was busy fer him. He had recruits to train. People who must be tought the art of combat, Kaldor way.

His voice was rough from the yelling! Damn those twins are excellent marksmen, but lack discipline. Thats about to change. He smiled to himself.



He remembered his first time in Akalabeth. The minion, the imprisonment, the tortures. All these days he spent, stripped of armour and honour.....Stripped of life.

These young recruits were his redemption, his path to clearing out his name fer what he did in the past.

Past is past, he was told. But they were wrong. Past is there, every night he closes his eyes. Marking him, branding him with the stench of dishonour. Tis why he can't sleep.

He looked outside the window. The stars were lit brightly, as if they were fires in the sky.

"Good Omen..." he whispered to himself.

"hmm?" Calantha slightly lifted her head from the pillow. Furrowed her brows looking at him.

"Why are you awake hun?" Her voice flushed the thoughts away like lava burning everything on its path.

He looked at her and smiled slowly.

"Im just stargazing...." His voice was not convincing.

"Stargazing...huh?" She was now leaning on her left elbow. "Come here" she patted the matress next to her.

He paced towards the bed, and sat on it. Clearly his body was showing the first signs of exhaustion. Looking at her he smiled.

"What?" She made that face again when she plays tough.

Gorn kissed her on her lips. She looked at him worried.

"You alright?"

He nodded. "Aye, just the week's weariness catching up with me"

He leaned back, and placed a hand behind his head. Calantha slowly rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes again. His hand caressing her golden mane.

'Im lucky to have ye luv' He wouldn't say it, but his eyes ment it. Too bad she was asleep.

The weariness cought up with him......Blackness.....

seon

The room felt cold....moisture.....darkness. He could hear drops falling into small pools in the ground.

The ground....rocky....dusty....Felt like a cave. He reached with his hands to feel the walls, and thats when he heard it. The clinging sound of metal against metal.....

Chains! They were wrapped around his hands keeping him at bay. He felt fear, he felt hate, he felt anger, he felt wrath. Swealling up inside him like a tide. His heart was pumping faster, stronger, it almost hurt him. Painspikes all over forced his body into a backward curve. Suddenly fire!

He grunted as he felt the warm rays of the sun grazing his eyelids. He outstretched his arm blocking the sun away from his eyes. Rays fell through between his fingers but he could stand it. He turned side slowly, and laid back again. His eyes open though. He couldn't sleep anymore. He might as well get up and suit up.

As he was strapping his armour, events from last night came like images to his mind. The gathering. The march. The attack. The..... What was it really? To him felt like a victory, despite the commander got captured. They had managed to take down all of the guards. Two wenches were running around stalling the troops, so that the marksmen would bring reinforcements. But....the goal was succeeded. The ale was stolen, and consumed that very night!!! So aye, it was a victory.

He smiled to himself. He never had such a hungover before. Could it be the ale? Bah! Those trinsicians water it down. They dotn stand the strong taste of it. He furrowed his brows trying to remember.

He had left the 'Mauraudin Kaldorian' and he remembered he was alright....and headed to....Swaggers!

"Damn!" he whispered

Calantha had told him the Orcs had attacked Vesper and the Vesperian guards were nowhere to be found. He also remembered the two Covians. What were they talking about? Couldnt be important cause he couldnt remember.

He walked to the basin. He poured some water in it and then dove his hands inside. As the water splashed on his face he felt a bit more awake. He wiped his face dry.

More aware as he was now, he noticed something was at amiss here. He turned his head slowly to the left.....then slowly to the right.....

"Calantha" His voice was rough.

He cleared his throat, and tried once again.

"Calantha!"

Nothing. What was it she said last night? Something about the furnitures was it?

He rubs his eyes and stretched. As he did a long grunt came out his mouth, like some wild beast of Gorimdor. The thought of that made him chuckle.

'wild beast' He sniggered. Well at least now Calatha had decided to start a family with him. That was something that painted a grin on his face.

"Now...where did she put that diary of hers?" ...

seon

He entered the bedroom as silently as his armour could allow him. Calantha must have been tired cause she didnt wake up.

'Better this way' He thought. She had a weird day with her resigning from the Swaggers, only to be given the management of the Mauraudin Kaldorian. Gorn knew she would get through with it, but also knew she would need help. He had to look for more barmaids.

He unstrapped the metal pauldrons and removed the sleeves and the gloves. Black gloves now. The Captain had demoted him and several others. He knew the Captain was right, thus he was alright with his rank now. Only thing that matters now is discipline!

Two new recruits they got today are in need of it. Especially Crystal who seems to have a bad temper. Gorn had read her resume. Raised by two necromancers. Damn, this kid must have had some childhood. She was more of a brawler than a warrior, but thats about to change if he can help it. He would make her a lean mean killing machine!!!

And Loki. A Viper wanna-be. He was very good when he used his skills. He needs some training to follow orders though. He did excellent fer the first day. If he would be obedient and nay a slacker nor a wildcat he would soon join the Vipers where his talent would be unleashed.

There was also a late enlistment. Polgara. She was quiet, but Gorn knew. Experience tought him tis the quiet that ye should fear. She was the most obedient of them, even more than Echo.

What he needed to do is bond these recruits together. Thus they would keep themselves dependent of each other and value each other's lives. Like when in box formation. He would do that tommorow. The Commander had ordered him to take them to the dread spider cave. Gather some spider silk. That would be an excellent idea. Crystal would be weak, but if they follow his instructions and remain close, they would have nothing to fear. His purpose. No one drops...

He removed his chain shirt and examined a few cuts. Damn those Orcs. They used to attack Swaggers, and now they tried fer the Mauraudin. They said something about trading but since he wasnt an adept of orcish, it was difficult to say.

They attacked. And they failed. A war band of orcs against two full platoons of Kaldorians. That was foolish. The Mauls locked shields, the archers rained death, the mages casted their spells. It was over soon. All the orcs had fallen. And from the Kaldor side...Only the Commander who was in the first line, giving the orders. She was attacked simultaneously by all the Orcs. No one could do anything. Still it was a failure as far as that is concerned. From now on, no Kaldorian falls...

Orcs never really posed any threat to Kaldor. Perhaps the General would sanction some Orc hunt. Time to tip the scales a bit and have the hunters be the hunted.

He removed his leggings and he sat on the bed next to Cala. She was well asleep. He stroke her hair. He hadn't seen her much that day due to the new additions in the ranks. Only when he was making the drawers and the stove -earlier that day- did they stay in the same room. She actually enjoyed watching him work with his hands. He could sometimes catch a glimpse of her grinning when he was looking at the instructions, or finishing something she had actually said it was impossible. He would have to make it up fer her tommorow, for she had been waiting fer him to return to show him the dinning room she had made next to the stove he had built. It was lovely. Now they could actually invite people over for dinner, and have a somewhat social life.

He layed back. Tired, cut, hungry, and a bit mad at certain recruits. Vegeta had told him to ease up on them. He was not very fond of that idea, but he would try it. Got nothing to lose....Might as well try to see if it works or not. Besides he hates yelling, but he hates disobeying orders.

As he closed his eyes a flash came to him. What did the Sergeant ment by what he said about not bringing Cala over to Strongholt? Weariness overtook him. Bah! Tommorow is also a day, he would ask him then....

seon

He first opened one eye...then the other.....He felt the sheets sticking to his body. Damn that heat! He couldnt stand it. It was too early for the sun to have come out. The air smelled like something was burning. His eyes widened and he turned his head around.

"Calantha!!!"

Flames were engulfing the bed. He couldn't see Calantha anywhere. Then the flames started licking the sheets lighting it up. He felt petrified. He couldnt move. As if some spell kept him there. As if someone wanted him roasted. The flames reached his feet. He was in pain as his skin started to burn, and layer by layer the flesh was giving away. An inhuman scream left his lips as his body arced backwards.


The rays once again woke him up. He didnt feel any heat. It was a normal day. Like yesterday....

Yesterday...It was a full day. Day started with receiving a message from echo to come to the keep promptly. He had practically run there. Finding a Covian banner and recruiting posters. With the help of Echo he took them down and looked around for any other. They found one on the steps of the tavern and the Razan temple. That was a sacrilidge. How did they even dare? He would have to inform the Commander about it.

Then later that day Corwin came by and told them that a Trinsician spy was lurking around. Immediatelly they had divided into two teams and started searching. The orders were simple.

"Search and destroy"

At some point Echo run off on his own. Stupid boy. He should be punished. Earl was the first one that found him. He was face down on the ground. When he came to his senses Echo reported he had seen four figures: two Trinsicians two orcs and chased them away, but as he was running after them, he bumped into some ogre that must had hit him in the head. Hopefully this hit will actually teach him not to run away on his own.

Gorn sat up on the bed. Calantha still sleeping next to him. He gently stroke her hair and kissed her on her cheek. She sighed in her sleep. She looked at her for some time. It had been a full day for her too.

During a patrol he passed through the infirmary to check if everything was ok. There he had heard voices up the stairs, but he couldnt hear clearly. Thus he went up the stairs only to find Foxy there with Cala. Immediatelly Foxy shooed him down the stairs and mumbles something about the confidentiality about healer and patient.

Later that night they had all gathered at the feast in Magincia. It was a memorable event. The service, the food, the atmosphere there was excellent. Polite and civilized. Civilized? Not entirely. At some point a small-built girl walked in, and Gorn heard the sarge calling her Auril. It was Auril, the wife of Seon in flesh and bones! He had read a lot about her in Seon's diaries but now he could actually put a face to all those discriptions.

After a while Auril got drunk. Her attitude turned to the worst. She came and stood over Gorn while he was eating and demanded him to giver her her money! It was outrageous. he only met this girl for first time and he already got in trouble with her. The worst part was when Cala went into the game and started threatening Auril. It was like seeing two banshees ready to rip each other appart.

The sarge intervened else it would have been a fight. He grabbed Auril and dragged her out. Calantha was too upset, and so they left in a hurry towards the Strongholt. There Jhan explained everything about Auril. That her and Auril were sisters, and that when Auril gets drunk she looses control. When we asked who gave ale to Auril Mae'var was pointed at. It didnt matter that he had actually got Auril drunk as much as he called calantha names. This infuriated Gorn and started chasing him around. Just before giving him a final hit, Jhan stepped in. He let Mae'var go ...this time. Next time he won't though.

Calantha then decided to open the tavern so that they can have an ale or two to relax. The night went by like water in the river. Easy and calm. At some point Gorn felt sleepy and Cala noticing it, she took him by hand and they went home.

Home, finally!!! Aftel a long day He couldn't wait to lay on the bed with Cala next to him. Just before he fell asleep it was that hie lovely wife decided to have a talk with him:

"Honey" She said shyly.

"mmm" Gorn closed his eyes slowly.

"I want to tell you something but you must promise not to be mad" She laid on her back and looked at the ceiling

What she told him then hit him like a tone of bricks, but put a smile on his face.

With her eyes avoiding contact with his she told him:

"Im pregnant"

At first he froze. Stunned as he was Cala thought she was wrong into telling him. But like a sunrise a glowing smile was painted across his face. And he went nuts. Jumping up and down, running around half naked, and yahooing he looked more like a happy monkey that very moment than a Maul Knight. Calantha was relieved to see him in such joy.

"Im to be a daddy!!!" he exclaimed.

For the first time he felt he belonged to this earth. He would have an heir to continue his name. The first thing that came to his mind as soon as he calmed down was to make a cradle.


As he got up from bed he went and washed his face. He looked down at the mirroring image of himself and smiled warmly.

'A father' he thought.

seon

He just sat there on the bed, alone, broken, hurt. He couldnt move. He didnt feel like moving. His whole body was numb. His hand was swallen, broken. Eve had tended to his wounds but the wounds ran deep. Deeper than the skin, deeper than the flesh, deeper than the bone. All the way down to his now wretched soul.

He had watched his wife been dragged around like a criminal, imprisoned, although pregnant! He had yelled that to Eve's face more than just once. She payed no heed. He had to act. He and Auril jumped on Eve and with fast swings they managed to drop her unconsious. Gorn had actually felt sorry fer hurting that guard. She was doing her duty, but that when things went awry.

Several Covians walked in and seeing the two Kaldorians armed and the Covian guard on the floor they immediatelly charged. Gorn tried to explain to them, but the first hit made him angry. He drew sword and then hell got even worse. He hit them with great fury and anger knowing that failure would result to death, not his...No he wasnt fearing his death, but Calantha's and the seed she carried inside her. Auril was there fighting like a lioness protecting her young ones. She stabbed, she poisoned, she jumped on them headbutting them, but they were two many. Two Kaldorians against too many Covians. As Gorn fell he saw with the corner of his eye Auril falling too.

When he came around Auril was dragged away to a cell and an iroclad Covian leaning over him. Gorn was worried. He turned to look at the cell where Calantha was held. Was she alright? Was the baby alright? The only words that came out his mouth :

"Put me in the cell with meh wife."

Dragged around he was tossed there with her.
Calantha was crying. He couldnt stand it looking at her crying. He loved her so very much that the very sight broke him apart.

Crowd began to gather outside and inside the jail. He cought a glimpse of Edwin outside trying to find out what happened, but his eyes stopped on that silent Covian recruit looking through the bars.

- Dimman! He exclaimed.

He might had left Kaldor to join the ranks of Cove, but still he was pure blood Kaldorian. A man of honour. He quickly explained the situation to him, begging him to help Calantha. Dimman was a good man. Still is....He tried, he failed.

The cell door opened. A tall Covian came inside. His intensions were written across his face. As he walked slowly towards Calantha, Gorn jumped on him. They fought. Like two hungry dogs fighting fer the last piece of meat. Gorn though -weak from his wounds- fell.

Calantha was screaming and crying as the Covian punched her and kicked her.

It was after the Covian exited the cell that Calantha curled down on the ground holding her belly, crying her eyes out from pain. But there were screams coming through the walls. In the next cell Rebecca who was arrested with Calantha was tortured. Her screams piercing his mind. He was laying helpless on the floor of that cell. Bruised, cut and wounded.

He opened his eyes a bit later, when the cell door opened again. This time a man with a different armour. Someone called him Hugo. He paced towards the woman slowly, as if each step was a quake. Gorn came around fast to the very thought of his wife being tortured again. There was struggle, but another Covian walked in grabbing the young Maul by the neck. The poor lad gurgled helplessly watching his beloved being tortured.

Each hit on Calantha's body was a flaming blade thrusted in his heart. At some point Hugo started hitting her belly. Despite his pleeds for mercy, the torture continued. Hugo took the beaten Calantha out to be supposedly released.

Gorn, still under the clutch of the Covian guard, was dragged outside too. To the torture room. Last time he saw Calantha she was being dragged outside. Beaten. Shamed. She was alive. Tis all he thought...and the baby???

He had been tortured before. Gorn didnt mind that. His body showed marks of whippings, burns and branding. He was tossed on a stone chair in the torture chamber. Unable to react he was having difficulty to see from one eye, swallen as it was. There were about five Covians around. They had an argument. Tis all he could figure out. Then his mind just......slipped away to the days before....to the day he proposed her in the Trinsic park....the day he saw her as a bride....till the day she told him she was pregnant. He was so damn happy that day...So damn happy. His mind remembered:

- Whats this? Calantha smiled slowly looking down at Gorn.

- Doesn't it look like it? Gorn looked at her grinning.

She smiled. He remembered that smile vigorously.

-A....crib?

He felt being dragged out.

- Move out! A strict voice ordered him.

He could barely walk. More like a moving coprse than a living person he was dragged out of the prison. His mind was so numb that he couldnt remember when was it that he was dragged out on the woods, tied to a savage banner pole. It was that Covian guard that many months ago attacked him, the Commander and Arinar. It was Demarian.

A sharp pain like a burning spike struck him on his left hand, making him scream. It was an inhuman voice that came out. A voice deep as he bowels of this earth. Grim like the face of death itself. A call to Raza...He fainted.....

He came around every now and then as Eve was dragging him away from Demarian with the aid of Dimman. At some point he woke up, slightly opening his one eye. He heard her voice. She reassured him Calantha was alright. Gorn gestured her to her to lean over.

- Iiiff....th' bb..baby dies.....I..'ll eat...y;r heart. He whispered.

He ment it. His body might have been broken, but inside his head the game of life and death was on. The bet? Everything....The winner? Didnt matter...

After he was dragged away to Buccaneer's Den, he was led to the healers' hut there. In his fever, in his anguish the call to Raza was answered. His mind filled with rivers of blood and fire, in a city of Steel! Auril and Edwin found him yelling, screaming and griding teeth. Calming the young Maul wasnt easy. Auril pittied him, drew her knife. Not a good way to die, but better than living half, and crazy. Edwin was swift to break in. He stopped her kindly. and managed to get Gorn to calm down.

Then Auril left to bring the captain. Gorn kept asking for Calantha and the baby, but the young recruit told him she was alive and that he took her to Strongholt. A while later, the Captain barged in. Seeing Gorn on the bed he ordered him to stand. Gorn was already half way standing seeing an officer's uniform. He tried to look as stout as he was hours ago. Failing.

- Yer arm is broken? Said the Captain noticing the hand in the sling.

-Aye sir. He sounded broken like his body. But tis my shield hand sir.

- Can ye hold a sword?

Gorn drew his sword. he had difficulty to keep it steady but it was enough

-Good, then Ill be expecting ye to fight when we go to war tommorow.

His heart all of a sudden started pumping quickly. Veins were ready to explode. He wanted to scream, to roar, to make the God of War himself to come down following the warcry and bestow him Glory! Adrenaline to the extremes. His mind set on one goal. Revenge!!!

Only now, many hours later, as he sat alone in the infirmary did he allow tears to come up. Tears for his wife, tears for their unborn child's fate, tears fer his loss of innocence.....He felt an empty shell. A ghostly figure....

The images of the city of steel drenched in a river of blood and fire was all that kept him company.

seon

It was still night. He couldnt sleep. Though it was an expensive room -by his standards- in the swaggers, the bed felt quite uncomfortable. Or perhaps he was used to the bed he had made at Calantha's house.

"Damn" he grumbled...

Downstairs it was empty. Silence was cast heavily in the inn. He sat up, and shoved his face in his hands. Took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

He got up and ....just stood there blankly. He looked down at his right ringfinger. Empty. No golden band embrassing it.

That night Calantha had told him everything that was troubling her since the time they lost the baby, or was that even before? She told him that Foxy approached her the next day from their stay at Covian cells and told her that he needed her support and she should show strong. Ofcourse Calantha was the one needing support, Gorn just needed to kill someone. Damn Foxy. Who was she to interfere in his personal affairs? Who said he needed support? He needed revenge, something that apparently doesn't go well with Kaldorian command. They had already forgotten the incident at the Covian inn.

He rubbed the back of his neck to send away the stiffness. He felt anger and .....he felt lost. Like an arrow sprung from a bow missing its target. He kept thinking of what Calantha had said:

"Im learning how to fight so I can talk to you..."

He looked idly out the window. Darkness all around and in his heart. It was as if Xathos himself had come and ripped his heart out, his numb body denying the death.

He leaned back against the wall next to the window. That damned laywer. Like a scavenger all around Calantha. Damn why did he have to spar her? Damn his anger, damn his hotheadedness. Now he was as when he came. Alone and hunted.

"Hunted..." He whispered to himself.

That very same night it seemed the brady bunch of Dondinians decided to accuse him of betrayal. Betrayal cause he had renounced his connection with the Goddess and instead offered himself to Raza, the God of War. Whats with them? Even the Commander -once a humble Cleric- renounced Dondinia and embraced the teachings of Raza. Didn't see anyone accusing her of anything. He had never cared fer Gods really. When he was a Sentinel he hardly managed to control his temper. Then he was accused of being too temperamental. He turned to Raza fer understanding, but it seems the Dondinians are onto a Razan-hunt, probably due to their near extinction -by the Razans -in the Great War. He would let them to their wild goose chase. He will remain out of this Gods' game they play. His concerns are more mandane, more down to earth.

At this very moment he felt unwanted. He had more or less decided to go back to Gorimdor, where his deeds will be recognized and his beliefs won't mark him as a traitor.

He had done more fer this army in one month that anyone done in a whole year. He would just wait out a proper opportunity to leave. Not much can be done here anyhow. If they wanna rip each other throats to shreds he will have nothing to do about it. He only wished the young recruits won't pay the price. He valued each and everyone of them. More than he did the others.

"Just a soldier..." He whispered with his lips tight.

All this time he was looking outside the window, the darkness. He took his gaze away from there. He rubed his ringfinger. Felt bad now....As if something was out of place.

"I wish I knew what must be done, God!" He sput out.

No reply.

'Didn't think so' he thought.

All Gods are the same. Pulling strings,never showing their faces, hidding behind their pawns, be it clerics, sentinels or disciples.

He rubbed his ring finger where the wedding ring was. There was much silence inside and outside his head for a few hours. Standing numb against the wall by the window.

His eyes then blazed with life. A decision made, he would try once again. Just one last time. It can't go worse than it already is...It can't....not with Calantha...